In the past, the Retail Association of Nevada has endorsed Republican Congressman Mark Amodei, and every other republican that ran in a Nevada Congressional District 2 election.
However, in the 2026 election, the organization is moving its support across the aisle.
In 2022, RAN endorsed Governor Joe Lombardo, but this year they endorsed democratic nominee Attorney General Aaron Ford.
RAN announced at a Wednesday event at Party Palace that it was endorsing democratic CD2 candidate Teresa Benitez-Thompson.
Party Palace is a locally owned small business off Wells Avenue.
The dress store has had to adjust to tariffs and the trade causing revenues to decrease.
"In the last year, it's impacted us a lot,” said Arlette Cardenas, Owner of Party Palace. “We've had to raise our prices like double to make a little bit of profit."
Party Palace has sold dresses for 17 years.
Cardenas says they are barely making enough profits to put food on the table.
While tariffs are making production costs more expensive, they are also seeing less people shopping.
"The war in Iran has certainly increased the cost of transportation, has increased the cost of fuel and has risen inflation to levels we haven't seen since four years ago,” said Bryan Wachter, President of RAN at the event.
Wachter says he believes that Benitez-Thompson’s policies align more to help small business owners.
"I'd love to say that we disagree Mr. Flippo's policies, but I haven't seen a lot of them yet,” he said. “I've seen a lot of mud."
Benitez-Thompson says if she’s elected to congress, on day one she will look for ways to help small businesses.
"On day one, if there's not a bill in congress to end the trade wars and to exerts congresses constitutional authority to make sure that we're making things affordable for people by pushing back on this administration with trade wars, if that bill isn't sitting there then I'm going to bring it myself," she said.
Benitez-Thompson also says she’s looking to lower health insurance costs for business owners as well.
We asked the Flippo campaign about tariffs and small businesses.
Instead, they pointed to Benitez-Thompson voting in favor of former republican governor Brian Sandoval’s massive tax package in 2015, as well as other tax increases and extensions when she was in the Nevada State Legislature.
